In the following days, Jin Chao seemed very busy—Jiang Mu didn’t see him return at all. Jin Qiang had to work during the day, so Jiang Mu spent most of her time alone with Zhao Meijuan and her daughter, which inevitably made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, school started just a few days after she arrived in Tonggang.
However, one day on her way home from school, she thought she saw a man driving a black Ford who looked a lot like Jin Chao on the bus. Jiang Mu figured she must have been mistaken, since the last time she saw Jin Chao, he was driving a white Volkswagen.
As someone with mild social anxiety, Jiang Mu didn’t adjust well to Class 6 of the senior year at the affiliated high school. She rarely spoke to her classmates and kept to herself during the first week of school. Combined with her naturally unsmiling demeanor, she came across as somewhat aloof and solitary.
Most of the girls here were either bold or outgoing—not only loud but also physically larger. Take her deskmate, Yan Xiaoyi, for example: she was anything but delicate. On the first day, when Yan Xiaoyi sat down next to Jiang Mu, even the desk shook. The two of them sitting together gave off a "Baymax and Hiro" vibe.
Perhaps due to this stark contrast, Jiang Mu’s already petite frame seemed even more pronounced. Within three days, many had noticed this girl with delicate features and cool, pale skin. The fact that she was a transfer student repeating her final year only intensified people’s curiosity about her.
Among them, the most curious was probably Pan Kai, who sat across the aisle. From the very first day Jiang Mu joined the class, this young man had been staring at her as if she were a goddess descended from heaven—during class, between classes—practically wearing the word "admiration" on his forehead.
Jiang Mu had received subtle advances at her old school, but she had never encountered anyone so blatant. She started deliberately avoiding him, even taking detours to the restroom. Despite this, her male classmates’ teasing only escalated. Within a week, some had started calling her "Pan’s wife" behind her back.
During a long break one day, Yan Xiaoyi said to her, "Pan Shuai is a rich second-generation heir—his family owns an auto parts factory."
Jiang Mu turned and asked, "Do you think if I asked him to give me the factory, he’d agree?"
Yan Xiaoyi chuckled naively and replied, "You’re overthinking it."
"Then what does his family’s factory have to do with me?"
"…"
Just as they were talking, the class monitor—who was hyperactive one moment and lethargic the next—came running over. Their Class 6 monitor, a round-faced boy named Huang He (though for some reason everyone called him Chang Jiang), said to Jiang Mu, "Lao Ma is looking for you."
Jiang Mu hurried to the office, where Lao Ma told her that before National Day, the school would hold a traditional culture performance. While seniors might not necessarily participate, city officials would be attending, so it was best to wear the school uniform.
Considering Jiang Mu was a repeating student and would only be there for a year, there was no need to buy a new uniform. Lao Ma suggested she borrow one from a classmate and let him know if she couldn’t find one. Jiang Mu nodded.
After evening self-study, as Jiang Mu packed her things and left the classroom, she noticed a few people in the hallway whispering while looking downstairs.
"Is that Lao Ma’s friend? Lao Ma went downstairs earlier, and the guy across offered him a cigarette. They chatted for quite a while."
Someone from Class 5 chimed in, "He’s not a friend. Teacher Ma mentioned when he came back up that it’s his former favorite student. Could it be that senior he always talked about in class? Why didn’t they invite him up? I’ve never seen him in person."
"As if any of us have."Jiang Mu casually glanced downstairs and saw a group of people standing across from the school who didn’t look like high school students. Paying it no mind, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed down.
The bus stop was still some distance from the school gate. Just as she stepped out and turned toward the stop, her eyes inadvertently drifted back across the street. Two cars were parked there, one of them a somewhat familiar black Ford. Her gaze sharpened as she took in the group standing in front of the Ford, finally settling on the man leaning against the hood. He wore a black shirt, one corner casually tucked into his jeans, and his long legs propped against the car made him particularly noticeable. However, he had on a solid black baseball cap, head bowed, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The cap obscured almost his entire face.
As Jiang Mu paused to study him, the man seemed to sense something. He suddenly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with her. It was Jin Chao, whom she hadn’t seen in a week.
He had clearly spotted her too, slowly removing the cigarette from his lips and holding it in his hand. His expression remained hidden in the shadow of his cap.
Just as Jiang Mu started toward him, someone tapped her shoulder. A figure promptly stepped in front of her, blocking her view completely. She looked up to see Pan Kai and asked, “Do you need something?”
Pan Kai grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and said with a hint of embarrassment, “Are you taking the No. 8 bus home? Want to walk together?”
Jiang Mu shifted a step to the side. “We’re not going the same way.”
Her eyes drifted back across the street. Jin Chao’s gaze hadn’t wavered an inch. Though he was speaking to the person beside him, his attention remained fixed squarely on Jiang Mu.
Seeing Jiang Mu about to leave, Pan Kai hurriedly intercepted her again. “We are going the same way—I’m taking the No. 8 bus too. Don’t you have to transfer? It’s not safe. Let me walk with you? I’ve got nothing else to do anyway.”
Jiang Mu frowned slightly and looked up at him. “Have you finished your practice exams?”
Seizing the opportunity, Pan Kai replied, “Speaking of exams, I actually have a few questions I wanted to ask you. Can we talk on the way?”
Jin Chao watched silently as Jiang Mu and the boy went back and forth. He took one last drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out.
Jiang Mu told Pan Kai, “I have something to do. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Then she strode directly across the street. Besides Jin Chao leaning against the hood, two others were standing, and one was crouched on the curb. Jiang Mu immediately recognized the crouching man as the tall, lanky guy who had come looking for Jin Chao at home not long ago.
Today, he wore a white T-shirt with a bold “China” print in a trendy national style, paired unexpectedly with patterned shorts. His scruffy stubble made him look even more laid-back and careless.
The whole group, stationed near the high school entrance, gave off an unapproachable vibe. Pan Kai kept calling after Jiang Mu from behind, “Where are you going? Don’t go over there.”
The men had been chatting casually, but they fell silent when they noticed a fair, delicate-looking girl walking toward them.
Jiang Mu didn’t stop until she was right in front of them, her eyes fixed on Jin Chao as she asked, “Are you here to pick me up?”
Although the school gate was bustling with students just released from evening self-study, her words seemed to freeze the air for a few seconds.
The two standing men glanced at her in confusion, then turned to look at Jin Chao. The lanky guy crouching on the curb, however, suddenly broke into a laugh.Jin Chao cast a faint glance at her, his dark pupils suddenly shifting to look behind Jiang Mu. At that moment, Jiang Mu sensed someone stopping beside her in her peripheral vision, also looking toward Jin Chao: "Seventh Brother, sorry to keep you waiting. Ao Bai went on and on, delaying us for half an hour."
Jin Chao lowered his gaze, fiddling with the lighter in his hand. The tall, lean man raised his chin and scolded, "Kid, watch your words. He’s long past being the Seventh Day. Call him You Jiu Ge."
The person quickly nodded and said, "Sorry, You Jiu Ge."
Jin Chao asked, "Did you bring the stuff?"
The person patted the backpack in his hand. "Yes, it's all in here."
Only then did Jiang Mu turn her gaze and notice the person standing beside her had an ear piercing and wasn’t wearing the high school uniform, but from his words, he seemed to be a student from the same school. Judging by the situation, Jin Chao and the others were clearly here for this person—no wonder her earlier remark had left everyone in awkward silence.
Feeling embarrassed, Jiang Mu tugged at her backpack and muttered, "I’ll head off now." With that, she turned to leave.
Jin Chao lifted his gaze again, shifting it from Jiang Mu to Pan Kai standing across the street. Pan Kai was still there, occasionally glancing over. Their eyes met briefly for a second before Jin Chao called out to Jiang Mu’s retreating back, "Hey."
Hearing his voice, Jiang Mu stopped and looked back. Jin Chao leisurely straightened up, his eyes sweeping over her. "I’ll walk you home."
He then turned to the other men and said, "Leave this to you. I’ll be back soon." After patting the high school student on the shoulder, he glanced at Jiang Mu.
Jiang Mu didn’t move, still standing in place. Jin Chao adjusted his cap, a slight movement at the corner of his eyes. "What are you standing there for? Need an invitation?"
Jiang Mu stopped being polite and walked back a few steps, pulling open the passenger door. Under the watchful eyes of the men, she properly fastened her seatbelt. Jin Chao exchanged a few more words outside the car, and the other men gradually got into the vehicle behind them. Before leaving, the tall, lean man deliberately circled to the passenger side and tapped on the window glass. Jiang Mu glanced at him, and he flashed a roguish grin before walking away.
Meanwhile, Jin Chao opened the driver’s door and got in. As soon as he was inside, he tossed his black baseball cap to the back and casually ruffled his short hair. Jiang Mu asked, "Do you still wear a cap at night?"
Jin Chao started the car and pulled out, steering the wheel. "Saves trouble."
"What trouble?"
"Too many eyes and mouths."
Remembering that this was also Jin Chao’s alma mater, he probably didn’t want to be recognized. She couldn’t help but ask, "So, were you some kind of celebrity at school back then?"
The faint glow of streetlights filled the car. Jin Chao’s lips curved slightly. "Not exactly a positive reputation. Don’t go around saying you know me at school."
Jiang Mu nodded obediently. "I won’t make trouble for myself."
Jin Chao’s brow lifted slightly, and they fell silent. He drove extremely fast, as if racing against time. Though Jiang Mu had already experienced his driving speed, she couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Perhaps due to the speed, her mind raced as well. What had that high school student brought them? A whole group had come for a bag of something—how cautious.
Connecting it to Jin Chao’s life-risking incident, Jiang Mu’s imagination ran wild. Could it be a bag of drugs or weapons? Jin Chao said he was out making money, and the people around him all seemed careless. Was it dirty money he was dealing with?Jiang Mu's heart began to pound erratically. The bus ride home usually took over half an hour, but Jin Chao drove the car to the entrance of the old residential area in just over ten minutes. However, this time he didn't drive in. He stopped the car, looked at Jiang Mu, and said, "We're here."
Jiang Mu glanced at the car again and asked, "I remember you weren't driving this car last time."
Jin Chao rolled down the window and gave a noncommittal "Hmm." Jiang Mu didn't get out of the car. Instead, she pressed further, "Why do you often drive different cars?"
Jin Chao brushed her off with a vague reply, "Work reasons."
Jiang Mu's body tensed even more. What kind of job required driving different cars? Could it be that he was afraid of being targeted and needed to constantly switch vehicles?
She immediately followed up with another question, "What did that guy just hand over to you?"
As expected, the moment she asked, Jin Chao suddenly turned his head, his eyelids lifting slightly as he fixed a cold, penetrating stare on her. Though his gaze was intense, Jiang Mu didn't flinch. She tried to detect any hint of a crack in his composure, but there was none. Jin Chao simply stared at her in silence for a few seconds before suddenly remarking, "With so many questions, why don't you go buy a copy of '100,000 Whys'?"
She really did have a pile of questions—like how he could afford to switch cars every few days? Where did the money come from? Was it him she saw on the bus last time? And where were they planning to take that male student later?
But it seemed this wasn't the right time for casual conversation, as Jin Chao appeared to be in a hurry to get back. After saying this, his gaze drifted to the window on the other side, his fingers tapping impatiently against the door frame. He didn't urge her to leave, though.
Jiang Mu took the hint and unbuckled her seatbelt to get out. Just then, the person beside her suddenly asked, "Who is that guy?"
"Which guy?"
"The square-faced one waiting for you across the street."
It took Jiang Mu a good ten seconds to realize he was talking about Pan Kai. She replied, "A classmate."
Jin Chao withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her. In the confined space, his dark, intense eyes seemed to radiate heat, making Jiang Mu feel the temperature inside the car rise a few degrees, growing stuffy.
Noting her evasive eyes and uneasy demeanor, Jin Chao didn't press further. He simply said, "Be careful," then unlocked the car doors.
As Jiang Mu stepped out, she suddenly remembered something and leaned back in. "Do you still have your old school uniform jacket?"
Jin Chao rested one hand on the steering wheel and replied indifferently, "Not sure." Then he added, "Why?"
Jiang Mu explained, "Teacher Ma asked me to borrow one for an event."
Jin Chao nodded, though Jiang Mu had no idea what that nod meant.
She took a step back. Jin Chao rolled up the window, and with a roar from the Ford's engine, the car accelerated and disappeared around the corner.
That night, whenever Jiang Mu recalled the scene at the school gate, she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She had even asked Jin Chao if he was there to pick her up? Clearly, he had spared her dignity by not denying it outright and had even taken the time to drive her back. The awkwardness made her squirm and roll around in bed.
Just when she thought she couldn't bear to revisit the memory, Pan Kai cornered her the next morning at school and asked, "How do you know the 'Director'?"
Jiang Mu was baffled. "Director? Director of what?"
"The restroom!"
"..."Jiang Mu stared at Pan Kai for a full five seconds, suddenly recalling how Jin Chao had called him "square-face" yesterday. Without that nickname, she might never have noticed how perfectly rectangular Pan Kai’s face looked, as if stamped from a mold. She inexplicably chuckled, sidestepped him, and returned to her seat. That laugh left Pan Kai bewildered. He turned and grabbed Yan Xiaoyi, who had just returned from the restroom: "Jiang Jiang smiled at me. Do you think she might like me?"
"This morning, I saw her smile at a statue of Aristotle in her notebook. So I guess she must like Aristotle too."
"..." This conversation was going nowhere.
Pan Kai turned back and entered the classroom, plopping into the empty seat in front of Jiang Mu. He explained that the so-called "Director" was originally named Zhang Fan, from Class 1, Grade 12. That group had no intention of going to college—they just loafed around all day. They called him "Director" because they often caused trouble in the restroom. They would block off the third-floor restroom to smoke inside, forcing everyone else to use the second-floor one. Over time, the third-floor restroom became a gathering spot for delinquents, and Zhang Fan was crowned its "Director."
Pan Kai kept rambling, warning Jiang Mu to stay away from Zhang Fan, insisting he was bad news. But Jiang Mu’s mind drifted to how respectfully Zhang Fan had treated Jin Chao the night before.
She suddenly looked up and fixed her gaze on Pan Kai, making his heart skip a beat. Timidly, he asked, "What’s wrong now? Are you possessed?"
Jiang Mu cut straight to the point: "Which class did you say the Director is in?"
"Class One."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Mu tossed her pen aside and headed straight for Class One. Pan Kai hurried after her, pleading, "You’re not actually going to find him, are you? Oh man, I told you not to get involved with him. He’s a troublemaker. Do you know what that means? Jiang Mu, Jiang Jiang…"
Pan Kai called after her the whole way, drawing curious glances from passersby. Jiang Mu felt like a giant fly was buzzing incessantly in her ear. She turned and snapped two words at him: "Shut up."
Pan Kai chirped obediently, "You got it!"
When they reached the door of Class One, Jiang Mu shot Pan Kai a look: "You go."
Pan Kai knew quite a few students in Class One. He casually called over a guy and asked, "Where’s the Director?"
The boy glanced curiously at the girl behind Pan Kai and replied, "He’s not here today. Took leave, I think." Then he asked, "Who’s she?"
Pan Kai lowered his voice and whispered into the boy’s ear, "Your future sister-in-law."
After exchanging a few jokes, they turned around to find Jiang Mu already gone. Pan Kai quickly said goodbye and chased after her.
Seeing him catch up, Jiang Mu tilted her head and asked, "Have you heard of Seventh Day?"
"Sure, the ghost-returning night. On my grandpa’s Seventh Day, the whole family stayed up. My dad and the others played mahjong, and I gamed in my grandpa’s old room. Around midnight, I kept hearing someone call ‘Xiao Kai, Xiao Kai’—it made me lose so many in-game kills. I got so annoyed I yanked open the curtains and saw my grandpa’s reflection in the windowpane. Damn, my grandpa’s place is on the third floor! How could there be a shadow floating outside…"
Noticing Jiang Mu walking faster and faster, he hurriedly said, "Hey, wait for me! I’m not lying, it’s true! You’ve got to believe me!"
Just before reaching their classroom door, Jiang Mu suddenly stopped and told him, "The Seventh Day I’m talking about is a person."Pan Kai was taken aback, his lips twitching. "That person is quite sinister!"
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